Suitors
by MoxieChick
Summary: Takes place after the series ends. Ambrose tries to fight his feelings for DG as her mother's ball and the young suitors that will be attending approaches.


He knew that this day was going to come eventually. He just hadn't expected to ache as much as he did when he finally saw her appear in front of the eager guests. All he could think of was what she had said to him that day, and how he wished he had agreed.

A week ago she had called for him and he went to her room with a slight bounce in his step, the same way he always walked when going to visit her. But his heart had leapt into his throat when he saw her in the ball gown the best seamstress in all the O.Z. had been working on for three weeks. It was a turquoise halter gown that brought out the blue in her eyes well but kept some color to her naturally pale skin.

"Ambrose!" She cried joyfully when he entered. He smiled back at her and bowed respectfully.

"Princess, you look…lovely." The man felt awkward saying this. Despite the fact that it was true it seemed quite an understatement. Ambrose stood and walked over to where she stood at the mirror and looked at their reflections standing side by side. He was still getting used to his new hair cut that had been given to him after the surgery. At first he had been so embarrassed he refused to leave his room. But DG had barged in anyway and just smiled, saying simply that he looked like a rock star. Though he had no idea what that was, there was no hint of jest in her words or eyes. After that he had taken a liking to his hair, no matter what anyone else said behind his back.

"Ambrose…I don't know if I can go through with this." DG admitted softly after a minute of silence.

"Why not? It's going to be a wonderful ball, and it's to show the entire O.Z. that your sister has returned to normal and to celebrate your return home."

"I know." Her eyes studied her reflection and he could tell that she felt out of place in her gown, no matter how much it flattered her figure, it was not her.

"But I was talking to Az and she said that this would also be my "coming out" party. They had those on the Other Side as well, it means I'll be introduced to all the young men in the O.Z. for…well I guess here you'd call it courting."

This thought made Ambrose's heart fall into the pit of his stomach. He had forgotten about that part, but he did his best to keep smiling for her, she needed the reassurance.

"Is that so bad Doll?" He let the Glitch in him come out. DG smiled at the nickname but her sigh was as heavy as lead.

"I don't think I'm ready for that. Az is older, shouldn't this be for her?"

"She needs to be close to your parents and Cain for protection. People are still anxious about her sudden reform. They need to see it first before she can go back to being a normal princess." His hand had traveled to her shoulder in reassurance, but he couldn't repress the thrill that shot up his arm at the feel of her skin against his.

"I'm not even that. I barely remember being a princess. And even if I did remember, that's not who I am anymore."

"No, but you'll learn, and make it your own, just as you always have and always will." He hoped that was the right thing to say. And it seemed that it was because he suddenly found DG's arms around his waist and her lips forming a grateful smile.

"Will you teach me to dance?" She asked suddenly.

"M-me?" Ambrose cursed himself for letting his inner Glitch come through at that precise moment. From time to time he still felt that things weren't firing right. But he had come to a comfortable medium with the Glitch in him. Glitch was more care free and open with his feelings, while before Ambrose had kept his sharp wit and feelings quiet for fear of offense, they now seemed to slip out from time to time. And while Glitch had a knack for pointing out the obvious and more often than not embarrassing things in life, he had now learned to control some of those outbursts, which he found his three closest friends were grateful for.

That was another difference. He now had friends, real friends. Not the kind and sometimes mothering companionship of the Queen. And the blind innocence of a young DG who sought out his companionship out of boredom and probably for the magnificent toys he had made for her.

He was broken from his thoughts by a small laugh that radiated from the young woman he still held in his arms.

"You know you think too much sometimes."

"And sometimes not at all." He admitted. They both laughed and he gently readjusted her hands, letting one rest on his shoulder while taking the other in his own.

"You know your mother probably has the finest dance teacher hired, ready to start giving you lessons tomorrow morning."

"This morning actually, but I didn't feel comfortable and kept stepping on his toes." Her cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. "Cain told me about how you had bragged about being a great dancer."

"Me and my big mouth." He joked as he began to move and lead her movements as well. At first she did step on his feet, and apologized with obvious embarrassment, but he just shook his head and smiled. After a while she began to get the hang of the basics, so he threw in a twirl, after she had that, a dip, and soon it seemed their dancing was as natural as walking.

"I think I'm starting to get it." DG said, she moved in a little closer to the older man and let her head rest against his shoulder.

"By the time the ball comes around you'll be a pro." He willed his heart to keep an even beat, but it rebelled by doubling in speed, Ambrose only hoped she didn't notice.

"What if I only dance with you?" Her voice was suddenly very quiet. "Then I wouldn't get nervous and step on the feet of the other men I might have danced with."

He wanted to say yes, but he knew that the King and Queen would be quite sore if her dance card was taken up by him and him alone. Someone he seriously doubted they were considering to court their youngest daughter. Ambrose slowed their dancing until they finally stopped and forced a smile.

"I think that if you keep practicing that won't be necessary."

He tried to ignore what he thought was a look of disappointment that crossed her face and bowed slightly.

"Goodnight, DG."

"Night."

And with that he left her room with a heavy heart. A heaviness that seemed to have grown even heavier as the princess descended the palace stairs down to the garden. As she reached the foot of the stairs a dashing young man boldly stepped up to her and bowed low. When he stood he held his hand out and she took it cautiously before letting him lead her into a dance. Ambrose held back a lump in his throat and watched her graceful movements as she and her partner moved across the dance floor. The man sank back into the crowd and thought of how the morning after their impromptu dance session her dance teacher had proclaimed that a muse must have visited her in the night and taught her to dance in her sleep.

The music drifted softly to him as he wandered the inner workings of the garden, finally settling on a stone bench with a sigh. The ball didn't hold much excitement for him. He had become an awkward eighteen year old boy again, being ignored by all the ladies in attendance and fading into the crowd. It pained him even more to recall that at that age it had been DG who had danced with him the most. Her little feet perched on his larger ones as he danced her around in circles. He hadn't told her about that, he wondered now if he should have, it might have calmed her nerves some. At first he'd been embarrassed to be dancing with the young princess, but he had scolded himself as he remembered that this was the same little girl who seemed to take a genuine interest in his inventions, and wanted him to teach her to be an inventor, just like him.

"And now a tradition in the O.Z., this dance is ladies choice." Tutor's voice drifted to him from over the microphone and Ambrose smiled sadly, picturing DG picking a strapping young man for her partner. He would be an amazing dancer, all eyes would be on them as they moved, and the King and Queen would watch with proud and approving smiles. They would talk and he'd be as charming as they come, and after the dance was over they would leave the floor and walk the grounds, by the end of the night he may even have asked for her father's permission to court her.

Ambrose knew that he would always be there for her as long as she wished it, but knew that when her prince charming finally came along that he would have to let her go.

"Ambrose?"

If it could have, his heart would have leapt right out of his throat and into the flower bed in front of him. Instead he jumped and looked up in disbelief at the young woman before him.

"DG." He stood and bowed politely. "Why aren't you at the dance, they'll wonder where you are?"

"It's ladies choice." She walked up to him and took his hand with a soft smile.

"And I want to dance with you."

Recovering from his initial shock, Ambrose bowed then kissed her hand before getting into the proper dance position. They moved slowly to the music and he tried to not to stare at the way she glowed in the moonlight.

"What were you doing here? Why weren't you dancing?"

"I wasn't much in the mood, and I doubt I would have had many offers."

"But you're a great dancer Gl – Ambrose." DG bit her lip, she sometimes still slipped up and called him Glitch, it happened less often but she still felt bad when it did.

Ambrose only smiled, not wanting to ruin the moment he lifted her and spun her around in the air which made her laugh happily and cling to him.

"Glambrose? Is that who I am now?" The man set her down and laughed heartily.

"No, it doesn't suit you." She once again moved in close to him and laid her head on his shoulder. "I remembered something. I remember dancing with you when I was younger."

"You were my favorite dance partner, and that's not just because you were my only one either." He smiled broadly as she laughed into his dress coat. "You used to want to be an inventor too. I taught you how to fix things that were broken and how make new things."

"I think I remember bits and pieces of that…besides Az you were my best friend."

"You were my only one." He admitted shyly. He was beginning to lean into her and tried to fight the urge to move the hand on her waist to the enticing small of her back, but she shifted and it moved there anyway. He swallowed hard.

"DG…You should be getting back soon. I'm sure there are plenty of young men who are sore at missing their chance to dance with you."

"Let them be. I hated it out there, everyone staring at me and all these men I'd never met before putting their arms around me."

"You know you'll have to choose a suitor eventually, Doll." He forced another smile as he fought back that insistent lump that would to form in his throat at that unpleasant thought. She only leaned against him more and let her arms wind around his neck, forcing him to wrap his around her waist.

"Maybe…I already have."

She said this so softly that he almost missed it. His felt his heart skip a beat or two and tried to tell himself it couldn't mean what he hoped it meant. But even if he tried to ration away what she had said in his head, his heart still beat with a giddy speed. And so, to comply with both he didn't ask her what she had meant. He simply leaned his head against DG's soft hair, leaving it up to her when their dance ended.


End file.
